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The Daily Press and residents of the Victor Valley in the western Mojave Desert are issuing a PRIDE (People Ready to Improve the Desert Environment) challenge to address the many facets of blight that are evident in the region. As a kid playing in the open desert across the street from my
Victorville home in the 1980s and 90s, I would find trash dumped by
residents too lazy or cheap to responsibly dispose of tires, furniture
and other refuse.

I have written before about the need for desert communities to respect themselves and surrounding wildlands, in part by minimizing our impact on desert habitat and keeping both the desert and our cities clean. The lack of respect by some leaves an impression for all to see, but how long we tolerate the mess is ultimately up to all of us. In a single hour, my sister and I were able to fill five large bags of trash that we removed from a small patch of Joshua tree and pinyon juniper habitat in the western part of the Victor Valley. Not lo…

Illegal dumping is a problem on desert lands, especially those close to the urban areas throughout the southwest. Growing up in the western Mojave, I know the areas around the Victor Valley and Antelope Valley have dealt with illegal dumping for a while. Instead of taking trash to a landfill or other materials to proper recycling centers, a small minority of people would rather trash our open space, often taking a pick-up full of trash a half-mile or so down a dirt road to discard their waste in the desert, showing complete disrespect for the desert and their neighbors. You can report illegal dumping to county authorities (Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, or Kern County.) You can also contact municipal code enforcement offices that might have jurisdiction over parcels of land within city limits, such as this site for Apple Valley Code Enforcement.

There are consequences for those who get caught. In addition to being cited and fined, in some towns you can have your vehicl…